Pump with oscillating vanes



Nov. 4, 1969 J. A swer-11' PUMP WITH OSCILLATING VANES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 1, 1968 INVENTOR. fines 14.812 21! :MaMg

ATTORNEY J. A. BRIGHT PUMP WITH OSCILLATING VANES Nov. 4, 1969 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 1 I N VEN TOR. 75222425 ABz {ght ATTORNEY United States Patent Oilfice 3,476,056 PUMP WITH OSCILLATING VANES James A. Bright, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 1, 1968, Ser. No. 717,528 Int. Cl. F04c 1/02; F16h 21/36, 1/34 US. Cl. 103-429 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In the preferred form, this pump has a very flat cylindrical housing enclosing a cylindrical pumping chamber containing two sets of diametrically opposite sector shaped oscillating vanes making sealingengagement with the walls of the housing. Each set is connected to a diametrically extending driving bar. Each end of each driving bar is slotted to receive an eccentric pin extending from one of the four uniformly spaced planet gears each one-half the diameter of the sun gear. The rotation of the sun gear relative to the ring gear in engagement with the planet gears causes the planet gears to revolve about the sun gear to cause the vanes to move toward and away from each other to expel fluid through a pair of outlets and to draw in fluid through a pair of inlets in the flat side walls as they are covered and uncovered by the vanes.

There are many varieties of pumps. Most have considerable bulk or size as compared to their capacity.

It is an object of this invention to provide a compact, durable pump having excellent balance, high capacity and high volumetric efiiciency in which the inlet and outlet are controlled by the positions of the oscillating vanes.

This an other objects are attained in the forms shown in the drawings in which inlet and outlet ports are provided in the flat Walls of the pumping chamber which are covered and uncovered at the proper times by the progressively moving oscillating sector shaped vanes which are connected to and driven by diametrically extending bars having a scotch-type yoke driving arrangement with the two pairs of planetary gears having their eccentric driving pins positioned oppositely.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein preferred embodiments of the present invention are clearly shown, partly diagrammatically.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical diametrically located section taken along the line 11 of FIGURE 2 of a pump embodying one form of my invention;

FIGURE 2 is a top view of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a bottom view of FIGURE 1 taken along the line 33 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4- is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective exploded view of the pump shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through a portion of a sealed motor compressor unit taken along the line 6--6 of FIGURES 8 to illustrating a second form of my invention;

FIGURE 7 is a vertical sectional view through the second form of my invention taken along the line 7-7 of FIGURES 8 to 10;

FIGURE 8 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 88 of FIGURES 6 and 7;

FIGURE 9 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 9-9 of FIGURES 6 and 7; and

3,476,856 Patented Nov. 4, 1969 FIGURE 10 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line ltl--10 of FIGURES 6 and 7.

Referring now to the drawings, in the first form, FIG- URES 1-5, there is shown an upper cylindrical housing member 20 provided with a downturned rim making sealing engagement with the lower cylindrical housing member 22 which is in the form of a flat cylindrical plate. A fiat cylindrical pumping chamber 24 is provided between the top and bottom side walls provided by the housing members 20 and 22.

The pumping chamber 24 contains a first pair of diametrically opposite sector shaped vanes 26 having a frusto cylindrical peripheral surface in sealing engagement with the inner cylindrical wall of the upper housing member 20. These vanes 26 have their substantially fiat upper and lower faces in sealing engagement with the flat interior top and bottom walls of the pumping chamber 24 provided by the upper and lower housing members 20 and 22. The pair of vanes 26 are directly connected to each other and to the coaxial inner shaft 28 having a pair of notches 30 receiving the diametrically opposite teeth 31 projecting inwardly into the central aperture 32 in the diametrically extending driving bar 34.

A second pair of fiat sector shaped vanes 36 are also provided having peripheral cylindrically shaped walls extending substantially in sealing engagement with the inner cylindrical surface of the upper housing 2%} and having top and bottom flat walls extending substantially into sealing engagement with the flat top and bottom walls of the pumping chamber 24 provided by the upper and lower housing members 20 and 22. These two vanes 36 are directly connected to each other and to the bottom of a sleeve 38. The top of the sleeve 38 is provided with a pair of notches 40 which receive teeth within an aperture providing a connection with the diametrically extending bar 44. This connecting arrangement is similar to but larger than the teeth 31 in the aperture 32 in the bar 34. The bars 34 and 44- are provided with oppositely positioned central recesses so that they interfit as shown in FIGURE 5. The vanes 26 and 36 are similarly provided with oppositely positioned recesses so that they interfit adjacent the concentric shafts 28 and the sleeve 38.

The driving bars 34 and 44 are provided with a scotch yoke type driving arrangement with two pairs of planet gears 46 and 48. For this purpose the bar 34 is provided with radial slots 50 at its opposite ends which receive the oppositely positioned eccentric pins 52 protruding from the planetary gears 46. The bar 44 has a pair of radial slots 54 at its opposite ends which receive the oppositely positioned eccentric pins 56 protruding from the pair of planet gears 48. The two pairs of planet gears 46 and 48 are spaced apart and have a pitch diameter of onehalf the pitch diameter of the sun gear 58 with which they mesh. The planet gears also mesh with the internal teeth of the ring gear 59 having a pitch diameter twice that of the sun gear 58.

The bottom housing member 22 is provided with a pair of diametrically opposite arcuate inlet ports 60 formed as grooves in the flat bottom wall of the lower housing member 22. This same wall is provided with a pair of similar diametrically opposite arcuate" outlet ports 62. All of these ports extend as grooves through an are nearly as long as the portion of the vanes having the same radius. Through apertures in the Wall of the lower housing member 22, the two inlet ports 60 are connected by an inlet manifold 64 which connected to the suction inlet pipe 66 while the outlet ports 62 are connected by the manifold 68 to the outlet pipe 70.

The pump is driven by the relative rotation of the sun gear 58 and the ring gear 58. If the sun gear 58 is fixed to the upper housing member 20 the ring gear 59 may s be provided with external teeth and driven by a pinion 72 which is driven by a motor 74. Either the rotation of the sun gear 58 or the rotation of the ring gear 59 will cause the planet gears to revolve. As shown in FIGURE 2, when the ring gear 59 is rotated in the direction illustrated by the arrow in FIGURE 2, the planet gears 46 and 48 will revolve in the direction indicated by their arrows about the sun gear 58. This will move the bar 34 in a clockwise direction faster than the bar 44 because the eccentric pins 52 of the planet gears 46 are nearest the ring gear 59 while the eccentric pins 56 of the planet gears 48 are nearest the sun gear 58 and, therefore, move more slowly than the eccentric pins 52.

The eccentricity of the pins 52 and 56 is sufficient to move the vanes 26 and 36 so that the diametrically oppos te sector shaped pumping chambers 76 will diminish in size substantially to zero to squeeze substantially all the fluid out through the outlet ports 62 while the diametrically opposite sector shaped pumping chambers 78 are enlarged to extend through an arc of substantially 90 so as to draw fluid through the inlet ports 60. The vanes 36 n the position shown in FIGURE 4 keep separate the inlet and outlet ports 60 and 62 as well as the pumping chambers 76 and 78. The vanes 26 also keep the pumping chambers 76 and 78 separate. The inlet and outlet ports 60 and 62 require no reed valves and therefore are not dependent upon such valves for their reliability and efiiciency. The sector shape of the pumping chamber requires very little clearance so that a high volumetric efliciency can be attained. The pump is completely symmetrical so that dynamic balance is inherent. The capacity is high and the flow is uniform because two pumping chambers are receiving fluid at the same time that the other two pumping chambers are expelling fluid. Each sector shaped pumping chamber will draw in and expel fluid after one and one-half revolutions so that a high capacity is obtained within a small space.

In FIGURES 6 to 9 there is shown a form in which the sun gear 136 is rotated while the ring gear 103 remains stationary. The sun gear 136 is connected to and driven by the drive shaft 181 which, in turn, is connected to the rotor 183 of an electric motor. The drive shaft 181 is rotatably mounted within the bearing 185 which extends upwardly from the top plate 187 extending above the sun gear 136 and the ring gear 103. The rotor 183 is surrounded by the stator 189 which is supported by the cylindrical wall 191 extending upwardly from the periphery of the top plate 187.

To make it convenient to drive the compressor through the sun gear 136, the driving bars 121 and 122 are placed between the gears 103, 135, 136 and 137 and the vanes 101 and 102. As in the first embodiment, the pairs of planet gears 135 and 137 are spaced 90 apart and have a pitch diameter one-half the pitch diameter of the sun gear 136 with which they mesh. The planet gears also mesh with the internal teeth 134 of the ring gear 103 which is stationary and which is fixed to the top plate 187. This ring gear 103 has a pitch diameter twice that of the sun gear 136. The planet gears 135 have downwardly extending eccentric drive pins 152 while the planet gears 137 have the downwardly extending eccentric drive pins 156. The drive pins are all located near the outer periphery of the planet gears adjacent the teeth thereof. As in the first embodiment, they are arranged so that the drive pins 152 are nearest the center of the sun gear 136 at the time when the drive pins 156 are furtherest from the center of the sun gear 136. The eccentric pins 156 extend into the radial driving slots 124 in the driving members 122 while the eccentric pins 152 extend into the radial driving slots 114 in the driving members 121.. The driving members 121 and 122 are essentially the same as the driving members 26 and 36 in FIGURES l to 5. However, the driving members 121 and 122 have closed ends for their slots 114 and 124.

The cylindrical housing mem r has an inwardly 4 tending horizontal wall which separates the driving members 121 and 122 from the vanes 101 and 102, and forms the top wall of the compression chambers of the compressor. The driving member 121 is connected by the sleeve 111 with the vanes 101 through the use of any desirable form of rigid fastening means. The driving member 122 is connected through a sleeve 112 with the vanes 102 also through any desirable form of rigid fastening means. The vane 102 has its opposite ends each formed in the shape of a sector extending through approximately one-eighth of a circle. The opposite ends of the vane 101 are similarly sector shaped extending through approximately one-eighth of a circle.

The drive shaft 181 is provided with a downwardly extending pin 182 which extends within the sleeve 111 and also through the bottom valve plate 99. However, it is not necessary that the shaft or pin 182 extend through the plate 99 since a closed end may be provided in the plate 99 so as to avoid an externally extending bearing surface. The inner face of the bottom valve plate 99 is provided with a pair of diametrically opposite arcuate grooves 131 extending about 45 forming the intake ports. It is also provided with a pair of diametrically opposite arcuate grooves 132 also extending through an angle of about 45 forming the discharge ports. The angle between the nearest portions of the adjacent grooves 131, 132 is about 18 while the angle between the more widely spread portions is about 72. These are preferably connected together by piping external to the bottom plate 99 in the configuration shown in FIGURE 3 with the ends of the pipes extending through the plate 99 and connecting with the grooves or ports 131 and 132. The valve plate 99 forms the bottom wall of the compression chambers of the compressor.

In this second form, the energization of the stator 189 causes the rotation of the rotor 183, the drive shaft 181, the sun gear 136 and the pin 182 about the vertical axis. The rotation of the sun gear 136 causes the planetary gears 135, 137 to revolve around the sun gear 136 within the ring gear 103, thereby causing the eccentric pins 152, 156 to oscillate the vanes 101 and 102 as in the first embodiment. This oscillation is correlated so that the spreading of the vanes takes place over the inlet ports 131 to draw in fluid and the moving together of the vanes takes place over the discharge ports 132 to squeeze out the fluid. This form also provides high capacity within a small space.

While the embodiments of the invention as herein disclosed constitute preferred forms, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A pump including a housing provided with an annular pumping chamber and walls enclosing said chamber, first and second vanes in said chamber, first and second drive members connected respectively to said first and second vanes, wherein the improvement comprises a planetary gear system having a first planet gear provided with a scotch yoke drive connection with said first drive member and having a second planet gear provided with a scotch yoke drive connection with said second drive member, said planetary gear system comprising sun and ring gear elements meshing with said first and second planet gears, means for relatively rotating said sun and ring gear elements to revolve said planet gears and oscillate said first drive member and said first vane relative to said second drive member and said second vane, said walls having an inlet and an outlet port, said vanes having means for covering and uncovering said inlet and outlet ports.

2. A pump as defined in claim 1 in which said first and second vanes each have diametrically opposite portions.

3. A pump as defined in claim 1 in which said first and second vanes each have diametrically opposite portions and said first and second drive members each have diametrically opposite arms with one arm of each having a scotch yoke drive arrangement with said first and second planet gears, additional planet gears located diametrically opposite said first and second planet gears, the other diametrically opposite arms having scotch yoke drive arrangements with said additional planet gears.

4. A pump as defined in claim 1 in which said first and second vanes each have diametrically opposite flat sided sector shaped portions extending into contact with said enclosing walls of said chamber, said walls having additional inlet and outlet ports located to be covered and uncovered by said fiat sided sector shaped portions.

5. A pump including a housing, a drive motor having a stator mounted in said housing and having a rotor and a drive pinion connected to the rotor, walls within said housing enclosing an annular pumping chamber, first and second vanes in said chamber, first and second drive members connected respectively to said first and second vanes, wherein the improvement comprises an internally toothed ring gear mounted in said housing, planet gears meshing with said drive pinion and said ring gear, one of said planet gears having a scotch yoke drive connection with said first drive member, a second of said planet gears having a scotch yoke drive connection with said second drive member for moving said vanes toward and away from each other, said walls having an inlet port located to be uncovered between said vanes when they are moving away from each other and covered by said vanes when they are moving toward each other, said walls having an outlet port located to be uncovered between said vanes when they are moving toward each other and covered by said vanes when they are moving away from each other.

6. A pump including a housing provided with an annular pumping chamber and walls enclosing said chamber, first and second vanes mounted for rotation within said chamber, first and second drive members connected respectively to said first and second vanes, wherein the improvement comprises a planetary gear operating system for said vanes having a first planet gear provided with an eccentrically located drive pin, said first drive member having an operative connection with said drive pin of said first planet gear, said planetary gear system also including a second planet gear having an eccentrically located drive pin, said second drive member being provided with an operative connection with said drive pin of said second planetary gear, said planetary gear system comprising sun and ring gear elements meshing with said first and second planet gears, means for relatively rotating said sun and ring gear elements to revolve said planet gears and oscillate said first drive member and said first vane relative to said second drive member and said second vane, said walls having an inlet and an outlet port, said vanes having means for covering and uncovering said inlet and outlet ports.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,370,548 3/1921 Neebe 12311 1,407,094 2/ 1922 Smith 123-11 1,603,630 10/1926 Morris 123-11 1,726,461 8/1929 Weed 123-11 2,198,817 4/1940 Heins 103-129 2,610,520 9/1952 Snow 7452 2,893,268 7/1959 Liebel 74801 5,080,775 3/1963 Fritsch 74801 DONLEY J. STOCKING, Primary Examiner W. J. GOODLIN, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 7448, 52, 660, 801 

